EverQuest 2

More of an evolution than a revolution, but is EverQuest 2 still one of the best MMOs around?

For all its beauty, I'm not as huge a fan of the game's overall visual style. Particularly when you're talking about the areas around Freeport, the overall aesthetic seems to scream, "Look how many shades of brown we have!" I think the art team could have done more with less here.

I had honestly assumed that the inclusion of voices would be more of a gimmick. I was surprised to realize just how great an effect it can have on the game. While it's ultimately a "non-essential" feature, having NPCs who really speak to you makes the game seem so much more alive than it would otherwise. I'm sure we've all played MMOs that just felt quiet, too quiet. Playing an hour or so of EverQuest 2 will show you just how effective voiced dialogue can be in terms of drawing you into the game world and enhancing its credibility.

With one single exception, the sound effects are fantastic. From the ambient sounds of wind and weather to the shouts of monsters and animals, the sound palette is completely believable. The only sound that I can't stand is the annoying grunt that characters let out when they jump into the air. You should only ever make that sound if you accidentally knee yourself in the groin. This being impossible, I suppose we can assume you should never make this sound.

The game's music is fantastic. The score, recorded by an actual orchestra, has a really strong presence in the game. It has an epic feel to it that completely supports the action in the game. Sadly, the epic feel doesn't quite fit the moments of inaction. More appropriate music cueing would have been nice, but I'll take the heroic, forceful music all the time if that's my only choice.

The Verdict

The trick with massively multiplayer online games is for the farmer to hold the carrot close enough to the donkey's nose that he occasionally gets a nibble but not so close that the donkey eats the whole thing before the farmer gets where he's going. Now this metaphor might be a little tricky for you literal minded types so let me spell it out: the donkey is you, the carrot represents your in-game achievements and the farmer is Sony. Where he's going is to the bank with a cartful of subscription fees.

I can't criticize the game because it adheres to this model but I definitely feel that the developers are holding back a bit out of fear that you'll accomplish too much and either grow bored or run out of content. The first EverQuest didn't feel nearly this restrictive. By tenth level my human monk had seen the wonders of the elven cities and had slogged through the swampy homeland of the trolls.

If EverQuest 2 is a little stingier when it comes to rationing out the wonders of exploration, at least it offers up a lot more quests in the initial starting areas. As such you'll find yourself thoroughly mining a few zones before you're ready to move on to new areas. Grasshopper players who like to jump from place to place and sample lots of different experiences will find this to be a little confining but the upside is that there's always plenty of opportunity to do something constructive to advance your character.

There's no doubt that EverQuest 2 is the most refined expression of the model that the first game sparked. The beauty of the visuals and the variety of quests are definitely the high points for the game, but you shouldn't discount the game's presentation either. Balanced against those strengths are the game's slowness in opening up new content and some inconveniences in the organization of quests.